The European Commission has proposed to improve the current food distribution programme for the most deprived persons in the European Union by increasing the budget by two thirds to around €500 million from 2009 and extending the range of products which can be provided. Originally designed to provide surplus stocks of farm produce (”intervention stocks”) to needy people, the scheme was amended in the mid-1990s to make it possible to supplement intervention stocks with market purchases in certain circumstances. Now that surplus stocks are extremely low and unlikely to increase in the foreseeable future, the scheme should allow market purchases on a permanent basis, to complement remaining intervention stocks. The choice of food would be for the Member States and food distribution plans would be established for three-year periods. Food would continue to be distributed in cooperation with charities and local social services. From the 2010/12 plan, the scheme would be co-financed (75 percent from the EU budget, and 85 percent in cohesion areas). From the 2013/15 plan, co-financing would be split 50/50, with the EU budget providing 75 percent in cohesion regions. The Commission believes an increase in the budget to be necessary because rising food prices are adversely affecting the food security of needy people and increasing the cost of providing food aid. In 2006, more than 13 million EU citizens benefited from this aid scheme. The revised programme should be available from 2010.

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17 September 2008
© Europa

‘Promoting social cohesion. The role of community media’ has been published by the Council of Europe. Reports on the question whether third sector media contribute to social cohesion or threaten in it. The evidence point to the sector being an important factor in social cohesion and citizenship, particularly for minority ethnic communities and refugee migrant communities.

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12 September 2008
© Council of Europe

There’s a new place to turn for rural businesses and communities wanting to find out about ways to access EU and Defra funding via One NorthEast. A new user guide to the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) has been launched online at http://www.rdpenortheast.co.uk/page/userguide.cfm. The guide includes information on every step of the process, from the priorities for investment to how land-based and other rural enterprises, and rural communities, can access the cash. RDPE was approved by the EU in January, and is now well underway in the North East. Worth £3.9bn overall across England, the 7 year programme - jointly funded by the European Union and Defra – aims to make agriculture and forestry more competitive and sustainable, and to develop micro-enterprise, bioenergy and sustainable communities in rural areas.

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20 August 2008
© One NorthEast

The Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) is off to a flying start in Argyll with £1.4 million already awarded to community groups. The awards by the LEADER Local Action Group comes from the £2.7 million allocated by Ministers to the area to support and transform rural communities. More money is set to follow over the coming weeks and months with extra resources specifically earmarked for the Highlands and Islands. Environment Minister Michael Russell said: “I am delighted to note how clearly the Argyll Local Action Group, with the involvement of Argyll and Bute Council, has recognised the importance of agriculture, fishing and forestry to rural Scotland’s prosperity. Seeing these LEADER projects get underway is great news. I am convinced that, working hand in glove with the local communities they help sustain, land managers can make an enormous contribution to the growth of Scotland’s rural economy.

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18 August 2008
© Scottish Government

Capacity-building charity Resource Alliance is asking UK overseas aid agencies to share their fundraising expertise with organisations in countries with less developed voluntary sectors. A study by the alliance of fundraising in central Europe shows that a lack of resources is preventing charities in Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary from developing fundraising techniques and donor databases.

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23 July 2008
© Hannah Jordan, Third Sector

The European Commission has launched a new European Green Capital Award, to be given each year to a city that is leading the way with environmentally friendly urban living. The launch was held on 22 May 2008 at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels, where Commissioner Stavros Dimas signed a Declaration establishing the award scheme together with Paddy Bourke, the Lord Mayor of Dublin and President of the Union of Capital Cities of the EU. Mr Jüri Ratas, Vice-President of the Estonian Parliament, who laid the ground for the award in May 2006, was also present. Cities can apply online to be selected as the European Green Capital for 2010 and 2011. Any European city with a population of more than 200,000 can apply, and a jury will select the winning cities for 2010 and 2011 later this year. The award is intended to help European cities become more attractive and healthy places.

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23 June 2008
© WCVA

Have you created or implemented an initiative that has used ICT or digital technology to positively impact on socially disadvantaged or digitally excluded communities? If so, you should enter the European e-Inclusion Awards 2008. Your initiative could be recognised as one of the 35 best e-inclusion projects across Europe and showcased to the rest of the EU as an example of best practice. Additionally, by reaching this stage you could go onto win one of 7 individual category awards that will be presented at the e-Inclusion Awards ceremony in Vienna on 1 December 2008.

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23 June 2008
© e-Inclusion

Want to learn more about the 2008 e-Inclusion awards? Think you know of someone who should enter? Then come along to this Brussels-based briefing on 27 June, to learn more about the categories and judging criteria. The 2008 European e-Inclusion Awards will celebrate the best and most imaginative uses of Information and Communications Technology to reduce digital and social exclusion. The European e-Inclusion Awards are open to organisations in the public, business and voluntary sector or civil society. There are seven competition categories: Ageing well, Marginalised Young People, Geographic Inclusion, Cultural Diversity, Digital Literacy, e-Accessibility, Inclusive Public Services. Entries will close on the 12th September 2008 and five finalists in each category will be invited to exhibit at the Ministerial Conference on E-Inclusion to be held in Vienna in December 2008. The overall winners will be announced at the Awards dinner and ceremony. This briefing session will help you understand the categories and judging criteria, as well as providing broader insights into the e-Inclusion initiative and ePractice portal. For further information: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=4165

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10 June 2008
© Citizens Online

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a twelve-week consultation on the European Commission’s proposals for the “Health Check” of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The Health Check is a scheduled review of the major CAP reforms of 2003, which could have potentially significant implications for farmers across the EU, for the environment and for cutting prices for consumers. As well as reviewing the 2003 reforms, the Health Check is intended to prepare the way for longer-term reform of the CAP following the EU budget review in 2009/10. The UK will be fully engaged in the EU negotiations on the Health Check, with agreement expected to be reached before the end of the year. Defra’s consultation seeks comments on the proposed improvements to the Single Payment Scheme, improving market orientation, and responding to new environmental challenges. Consultation responses will inform the UK’s approach to the negotiations. A summary of responses, including next steps, will be published after the consultation.
The consultation period began on 9 June, and will last for 12 weeks. It closes on 1 September. To participate in the consultation, go to www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/cap-healthcheck/

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3 June 2008
© Department for Environment, Food And Rural
Affairs (National)

The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is having a serious effect on the economies of developing countries, according to Oxfam. Alexander Woollcombe told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the subsidies paid to European farmers make food produced in the EU cheaper than that grown elsewhere. He commented: “When it is combined with the European Union and other rich countries forcing developing countries to open their agricultural markets, what you get is subsidised, artificially cheaper European food coming into poor countries and wiping out their own national industries.” Prime minister Gordon Brown is calling on other EU leaders to cut the trade-distorting aspects of the CAP subsidies. This would help combat the food crisis, he claims. However, French President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed last month that he would continue to support the system in order to protect the interests of Europe’s agricultural industries.

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4 June 2008
© CAF